Overview of concept fan

Looking for alternative and creating alternative is

one of the most basic operations in Lateral
thinking. Concept fan is the way of finding and
creating alternatives.
The concept fan is an achievement technique.
How do we solve the problem?
How do we achieve the task?
How do we get somewhere we want to go?

Basics of Concept Fan

Following is the basics on concept fan.
Concepts & Ideas: A suggestion or a plan or a
practical way of doing something. Several ideas
form a concept.
Concept Fan: Concept fan is a powerful way of
opening up alternative ideas and concepts to
achieve a defined purpose.
Fixed Points: The connections that link many
possible alternatives are called fixed points.
Alternative: Alternative is one that you can use if
you do not want to use another one.

Fixed Point for Alternative

We will not find so many Alternatives to something. We
cannot say that alternative to basketball is screwdriver
or truck. Alternatives must have a fixed point by
which we can connect between two alternatives.
Different fixed points open different alternatives.
Example:- If the fixed point of Dog is Pet animal
then we have alternatives like Cat, Bird, Hamster.
If the fixed point of Dog is Security then we have
alternatives like Electric alarm, outdoor lighting,
Neighborhood watch.

How concept fan works

Steps of Concept fan
1) Define the purpose: what are you trying to achieve?
What is the purpose of our thinking?
2) Work backwards from the objective to the broad
concepts or directions which might lead us to the
purpose or objective.
3) Work backward from each direction to find several
concepts.
4) Try to seek practical ideas and ways to achieve or
deliver the concept of Step # 3.

Concepts & Concept fan

For Example : You want to improve marketing of
your product. Your employees will do this.
you can reward or motivate your employees.
The fixed point is the ways of rewarding and
motivating.
Fixed point is called broad concept.
Here reward can be in different concepts: giving
commission, salary increase, occasional reward.
And motivating can be in different concepts :
rank promotion, fear of suspension, recognition.

Concept Fan Drawing

How to Use the Tool:
To start a Concept Fan, draw a circle in the
middle of a large piece of paper.

Concept Fan
Write the problem you are trying to solve
into it.

Improving
your
product

Concept Fan
To the right of it radiate lines representing
possible solutions to the problem. One fixed
point is Rewarding Employees.

Improving
your
product

ees
y
o
l
p
m
E
g
Rewardin

Concept Fan
To the right of it radiate lines representing
possible solutions to the problem. Another
fixed point is Motivating Employees.
y ees
o
l
p
m
E
g
n
Rewardi
Improving
your product

Motivate Employees

From Fixed point to Alternatives

Main Purpose

Fixed Point

Alternative

Improving product

Rewarding Employees

Giving commission
Increased salary
Occasional reward

Motivating Employees

Rank Promotion
Fear of Suspension
Recognition

Thus Fixed point opens several Alternatives.

Those alternatives facilitate to main purpose.

Another Example of Concept Fan

If we have a purpose in our thinking, then
we have the broad concept that leads to
this objective, so if we have the objective:
coping with a water shortage. Then the
approaches or directions might be each of
these broad concepts, or direction, &
they become the fixed points for finding
alternative concepts.

Direction: very broad

concepts or
approaches.
Reduce consumption of water
Broad concept

Increased supply of water

dir
ec
ti o

direction
n
it o
c
e
r
di

Broad concept

Do without water
Broad concept

Coping with a
water shortage
objective

Increased efficiency of use

Concepts: general method

of doing something

Discourage use

Reduce consumption of water

Less wastage
New sources
recycling

Increased supply of water

New tools
Stop water using

Do without water

Substitute other substance

Avoid need to water

Concepts

Direction

Ideas: specific concrete ways of

putting a concept into working

Meter the water

Publish names of
heavy users

Discourage use
Discourage use

Charge for water use

raise
1 liter water 4 1
person
Limited water 4
gardens
Learning how 2
use
Threaten 4 wasting water

Increased
efficiency of use

Less wastage

Reuse water
Cleaning by swimming
pool water

ideas

concepts

Flexible lunch hour

Turn over role of
lunch

Reduce people during

lunch
Broad concept

dir
ec
ti

on

Eating space

Dealing with
lunch hour
congestion
in KLCC
food court

Utilize other space

in KLCC

Optimize lunch space

direction

Broad concept

objective

Delivery to the
office
Take away

concepts

c
ri e
d
Provide lunch
options

n
o
ti

Happy lunch hour from

10-12 morning
Late lunch hour
from6-8 pm

Flexible lunch hour

Turn over role of

lunch

Meeting / lunch
1. Not seated lunch
2. 15 min short
lunch
1. Foldable table/chairs.
2. Bar table
Picnic spots
Inside shopping complex
spots

Utilize other
space in KLCC

Delivery to the
office

Online order

Take away

SMS phone
Food collection center

ideas

Eating space

1. Express lane.
2. Special discount
3. Free F&B

Reduce the need to

travel
Disincentives to
travel into cities
Improve public
transportation

Reduce traffic
Broad concept

dir
ec
ti

on

Solve peak travel

problem

Remove intersection

Improve traffic law

Dealing with
traffic
congestion
in cities

direction

New road layout

Overhead/ under
ground roads

Broad concept

c
ri e
d

Use rivers
Smaller vehicles

concepts

objective

Increase travel space

n
o
ti

1. Work from home

2. More shopping to
peripheries
1. Charge for entering city
2. Provide no parking
3. Bad state of roads
1. Light rail
2. Subways
3. Shared taxies

1. Stagger working
hours
2. Tolls vary with
time of day

Underpasses and
overpasses
Tunnel and elevated
roads
1. Road on river
banks
2. Floating
transporters
1. Bicycles or lightweight
motorcycles
ideas
2. Small cars

Reduce the need to

travel
Disincentives to
travel into cities
Improve public
transportation
Solve peak travel
problem
Remove intersection
New road layout

Overhead/ under
ground roads
Use rivers

Smaller vehicles